From travels, I remember the hot sunny days, the beautiful scenes, times when all went to plan, the constant happy buzz filling me inside and the friendly people I met along the way. I swerve to think of the overnight trains and flights, skipping so many time zones that I was so jet lagged I was physically sick, the less welcoming people, the times I’ve feared for my life, the rain, the stress of some plans that didn’t quite work out and the times I missed home.
My friend and I were discussing only the other day how this is always the case. From stages in life you only ever remember the good and always (usually) forget the bad. We remember being so sad to leave school but during our time slogging away at A-levels we were wishing we could have be doing anything but. She chose to spend the week I visited doing exciting things and showing me around when she had so much work to stress about. However, we questioned what she’d remember most about her time at college, being slightly stressed about a test or the time she showed me the amazing state that is Florida? It’s a no brainier.
This goes for people too. Whether they’re sadly no longer with us or our paths have separated for whatever reason, we rarely ever remember how they chewed annoyingly when they ate, were so stubborn it was hard to ever compromise or always thought they were right. No, we think of times we spent together, the things they did to support us and conversations we had that oozed positivity or made us laugh so hard that we cried.
So as I overcome my jetlag in New Zealand feeling human again and no longer throwing up from exhaustion, I remember this. I embrace all of the struggles along the way but I know that when I look back at this time in my memory bank, I’ll only think of the good and the bad will have thankfully vanished.